8.01.2017

What's Interesting: Maria Allyn (Life Fulfillment Coach)

Hi Friends!

Welcome back to another addition of What's Interesting! WI is my way of introducing you to people, places, artistic endeavors, and all types of topics I deem interesting. Today, I'm excited to bring to you a dynamic woman who enjoys seeing the lives of other midlife women flourish - Maria Allyn.

Like I mentioned in Monday's post (A New Conversation), Maria invited me to join her Midlife Mastery group, which is a group of women who are experts in their chosen field of expertise. I was delighted to join the list of powerful women. My invitation arrived on a day when a door had closed and I was feeling very disheartened. Needless to say, after Maria and I chatted, I was thrilled to learn her mission was very much in alignment with my new vision for STYLE with Glenda K. Harrison - to nurture the entire woman.

Please, sit back and enjoy my conversation with Maria Allyn, and be sure to visit her links to her website to discover more about her mission.

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Biography of Maria Allyn:

Maria is often referred to as the Midlife Master. She's a proud Air Force brat who attended high school in Germany, and traveled extensively through Europe with her family. She credits that priceless education for enhancing her innate ability to connect soul to soul. After high school she studied fashion marketing at the American College in London, England. After returning to the States, she obtained her Bachelors degree in Communications and later her teaching certificate. At the age of 46, she obtained her Masters in Organizational Psychology and Leadership from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Maria is married and the mother of three feisty adult women. She feels that coaching midlife women on a mission is her calling, and is grateful for the ability to do it as a profession. She is known for successfully working with midlife women who are struggling and stuck during this life stage.

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Hi Maria, please introduce yourself:

I'm Maria Allyn, 55, a Midlife Fulfillment Coach. I partner with midlife women, who after serving others for decades, are ready to serve themselves. I obtained my Masters Degree in Organizational Development and Leadership from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. I'm married with three feisty adult daughters.

There seems to be a growing platform for midlife women to raise their voice. While many have leaped from out of the box of antiquated beliefs regarding midlife, there is still a segment of the population who are still living life behind a mask. Tell us your thoughts on the Midlife experience, and how one can permanently rid them self from living inauthentic.

Midlife is the perfect time for women to make themselves a priority. Through the years they've accumulated countless life lessons and well earned wisdom. These gifts allow them to know what they want and don't want. There is never a better time to pursue passion and purpose! For those who are not on their own personal journey, I tell them to get off the fence and start saying, "Hell YES" to life.

Tell us more about your Midlife Mastery endeavor, and what inspired you to move forward on this project?

Midlife Mastery is my signature program that has transformed the lives of midlife women around the world. It began with my entry in midlife. I felt a heavy sense of desperation, that my time had run out and that my boat had sailed. My intuition told me that this couldn't be true. I was still a vibrant, passionate women with so much to offer. I started to examine the disconnect between that reality and my feelings of hopelessness. I began to uncover so many falsehoods that are consistently being fed to women regarding aging and value. I believed that my mental barriers would come down if I could identify these myths, and discern for myself if they were valid. I realized that this discovery could enable any midlife woman to become powerful and give themselves permission to pursue their passion and purpose. We are all put here with a unique gift to give to the world and midlife is the transformative time to do it.

How did you decide which experts to include in the Midlife Mastery group?

It was important for me to find experts who were passionate about serving midlife women; who were known in their field with raving fans; had a creative, collaborative energy that would make them a team asset; and who could see my vision.

I can tell forming strong connections is important to you, as it is for me. Tell us Maria, in a world that's so caught-up on "Likes" via social media; what do you do to emphasize the importance of true, heartfelt connections with our fellow midlife sisters?

I believe that all midlife women need a tribe. A community of like minded women where there is no judgment, and all are encouraged lovingly to be all that they aspire to be. A tribe gives us a place to disconnect from the distracting noise of the world and get realistic, loving communion. It can be a sacred place for healing and growth.

I understand you studied fashion marketing earlier in your higher education career. How did you go from fashion marketing to finally obtaining your Master’s Degree in Organizational Psychology and Leadership?

I, like you, have always loved the creative aspect of fashion. After graduating from high school, I studied for a year at the American College of Fashion in London, England. Along with my studies, I also modeled quite a bit. While enjoyable, I realized that marketing was not the best place for my talents and obtained a teaching degree. My desire to obtain my Masters came from my desire to learn how to present information to midlife women in a way that was most effective. A perfect complement to my coaching business.

The two fields of study seem to be on opposite ends of the education spectrum. However, in my experience working as a stylist, the psychological aspect always comes into play when determining my client's needs. As a Life Fulfillment Coach, do you find that many of your clients seek assistance in all aspects of their life, including appearance?

Absolutely! Everything is connected. A change in one area in your life, whether positive or negative, affects all other areas. When you begin to give yourself permission to make your own decisions, based on what lights you up, amazing transformation happens. Our relationships, health, zest for life, attitude all improve. It has a transformative domino effect.

I always like to end my interviews with something that makes my community smile. Share with us a fun and motivating way to strengthen our courage muscle to go for it, or what you refer to as, MOXIE.

Nobody looks back on their life and says, "Man, I wish I would have sat on the fence more or stood in the shadows." Keep this thought anytime a door opens or an adventure calls you .You only go around once and midlife is when you put the key in the ignition and press GO! A couple of speeding tickets along the way are always advised😀

Thank you for taking the time to talk with me about your service to midlife women. I'm looking forward to working with you on future collaborations, and in seeing the lives of our sisters flourish.

Thank you Glenda for sharing the extraordinary details of Maria's life! her background and discipline, combined with her advanced studies does make her uniquely qualified to help women find their voice and realize their potential!xx, Ellehttp://www.theellediaries.com/blog/

Thank you for taking the time to comment, it really means a great deal for me to connect with my So What to Twenty friends. I hope you subscribed via email or by social media - I wouldn't want you to miss anything on our True Style journey. Stay True, Glenda